Project Estimation and Planning

When a proposal first comes to us, our first job is to put together an internal assessment and estimation for the project. We look for 3 things

• what are we building
• what are the risks
• how can we structure a plan

What we build goes beyond screen shots and rules. First and foremost, we try and gauge what is the vision of the client. By looking deeper than what is on paper, we can better foresee aspects of the application that are unwritten. Often during this period, Ethos will seek to engage the client in more detailed questions before providing a proposal. From there we can look at more tangibles such as product modules and technology selection.

What are the risks involves a close examination of the unstated complexities in the plan. Included in this is realizing third party involvements and how cross-dependencies may affect the timeline of the project. Other key risks include efforts not detailed in the specification such as post-release support or even documentation. Introduction of new or custom technologies is also factored in.

How to structure the plan largely depends on whether the project is end-to-end or piece-meal. Our preference is to separate the project into three sections: core application, key functionality, and secondary features. Doing so, allows for more agility into the application. Customers can test the core of the application first to ensure that it is meeting expectations and make necessary change requests for latter parts of the project.

Our plans are broken down into manageable tasks each not exceeding an estimated 40-hour level of effort. Tentative dates and milestones are then added.

Project Team

Ethos will provide necessary competence and resources to implement the project according to the developed Project Plan. Each project will typically be staffed with the following roles from Ethos resource pool:

• Engagement Leader (EL)
• Project Manager (PM)
• Technical Architect (TA)
• Quality Manager (QM)
• Team Member (TM)

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Communication

We believe that the optimal result is achieved as a result of an open and transparent dialogue with the client throughout the project. This dialogue will be facilitated through the following measures:

• Separate domain in the extranet where builds, test versions, bug tracking, code repository and other inter-project dialogue and communication will be facilitated
• Weekly project status meetings with PM and Client
• Monthly project meetings reviewing overall progress, quality and communication issues
• Project Members available online through IM, Skype or other communication channels agreed upon in the project.

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Time Tracking

Time will normally be tracked and updated daily. Wherever possible, it is made available to the client either via report or online. All time tracking will contain the following information:

• Date and time
• Amount of time spent on a task
• Project Member
• Project Activity
• Type of work (coding, testing, error handling, documentation etc)
• Text field for more detailed description

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Contract Types

Fixed Priced Contracts: At the onset of the project, Fixed-Priced contract limit the exact scope of the project. These allow for less flexibility overall because the contract is designed around the original specification declared by the client.

Should a desired change arise, a process is followed where a Change Request is created by the client in consultation with the Project Manager of Ethos. Ethos will analyze the request, and present consequence in terms of delivery date and cost to be agreed upon by the client before a Change Request is accepted and included in the project scope. All affected documentation is revisited, updated and signed off.

Time-and-Material: Time-and-Material Contracts may be started with less rigid specification since the client is paying for the added flexibility. If the project begins and a change is required, it can be implemented. Similarly, Ethos will still do the analysis and make sure the client understands all consequences before implementing the change.

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Feedback and Learning

Fundamental to our future success will be our ability to continuously improve our systems and processes. This is best accomplished by learning from experience – which requires feedback loops. We systematically seek feedback on everything we do, both internally and externally. Regardless of whether or not we win a bid, we will ask on what we did well and where we fell short. Projects are evaluated in the team, in the company and with the client. Time-tracking is used as feedback to our estimation process, so we can systematically reduce the risk.

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